Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_May_2019 - 53

SP Air Mini High

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Speed Sealed Flat
Head Impact Ratchet

The reviewer liked the easy reverse
functionality and "skinny head" of
this air impact ratchet.

The SP Air Mini High Speed Sealed Flat Head Impact Ratchet features
a patented high speed and sealed head mechanism and is designed to
be up to four times faster than a standard ratchet. The tool offers onehanded operation for the forward and reverse lever, and the sealed
head helps prevent the spread of the ratchet housing while protecting
the tool's functionality from dirt and dust. The Impact ratchet is
available in 1/4" (SP-7260RP) and 3/8" (SP-7265RP) sizes.
Circle 189 on card, or enter at "e-inquiry"
on VehicleServicePros.com

by Sara Scullin, Editor

THE REVIEW:

hen it comes to
access in the vehicle
repair world, one size does
not fit all. Sometimes a new version or
size of a traditional tool can go places
where previous versions could not.
Reviewer Phil Fournier, owner of
Phil's Auto Clinic in Hemet, California,
appreciated SP Air Corp's new take on
the air impact ratchet. The company's
SP-7260RP 1/4" Air Impact Ratchet has
upped the speed on this common tool
and given the product a sealed head
mechanism to protect the tool and help
prevent the spread of the ratchet housing. It's got a smaller, more streamlined
design and offers one-handed operation
for the forward and reverse lever.
Fournier has used many air ratchets
in his time; he says the compact size of
this one has its benefits.
"Ease of use is a given, but [SP Air] put
the reversing switch in a place that makes

it easy to reverse without having it reverse
unintentionally - a pet peeve I have with
other air ratchets," Fournier says.
He used the 1/4" air impact ratchet to
remove the transaxle on a third generation Toyota Prius.
"Book procedure calls for removal
of the engine and transmission first,
which is the easier way to do it, but we
have found we can do it faster leaving
the engine in the car, and this little
impact ratchet definitely helped in the
tight spaces so commonly found in modern vehicles," Fournier says, adding, "a
14mm bolt or nut is about the biggest you
would want to use [the SP-7260RP 1/4' air
impact ratchet] on, and it handles those
quite well."
The tool shipped with a small manual
which included simple instructions for
using the air impact ratchet.
"The small profile and skinny head
is what I liked most," Fournier says. "It

www.VehicleServicePros.com

MAY 2019

also has the benefit of not pinning your
hand on a stuck bolt like a conventional
air ratchet does." He found the reversing
lever was very easy to operate and noted
it "does not switch directions when you
don't want it to."
Fournier felt the noise level of the air
ratchet could be improved upon and
would like to see that refined a little,
perhaps by replacing or improving the
muffler. Editor's Note: SP Air notes the
SP-7260RP and SP-7265RP are rated
88.1db, well below the OSHA requirements.
Overall, Fournier found this little air
ratchet to be a big help in tight spaces
and easy to use.
"This tool is very handy as a timesaver in tight spots, as the head of the
impact ratchet is very flat and thin for an
air ratchet and will fit into spots where
others will not fit, and where one would
normally have to use a hand ratchet,"
Fournier concludes.

PROFESSIONAL TOOL & EQUIPMENT NEWS

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Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_May_2019

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